Wire clamp



March 7, 193'3. H, 'w PERRY 1,899,983

WIRE CLAMP Filed June 8, '1931 Patented Mar. 7, 1983 UNITED STATES PATENT OPH-CE. f

HORACE w. PERRY, or CAI: PARK, ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR 'ro RELIABLEELECTRIC CoivI- PANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CoRroRA'IIoN CF `ILLINOIS WIRE CLAMI Application filed June 8, 1931iY kseal No'. 542,876.

My invention relates to improvements in clamps for securing flexible members and more particularly to means 'for securing electrical conductors and wires to supports.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a clamp of this character-to fasten conductors or other flexible strands to supports with a minimum expenditure of time and labor and without the use of auxiliary wedges and the like.. Y

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a clamp of this character' in which the conductor or other strand or strands may be Secured to the clamping member 1n such member ,forms a trough yor groove extend- Vfashion that the ends thereof will be substantially aligned althougha straight pullrthereon will simply tighten the clamping action of the clamp member.

More specifically it is a purpose of my invention to provide a clamping member which in and of itself is capable of securely holding the strand or strands and to provide a mounting member therefor by means of which the clamping member may be mounted in place. n v

My invention contemplates also a clamp of this character in which the clamping portion of the device can be made smooth so as not to have a tendency to destroy the in-v sulation or other covering of the conductors.

My invention` is equally applicable to a single strand, a plurality of parallel strands, or twisted strands.

I will describe one form which my invention may take by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view partly in section of the clamping device;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through the clamping device;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fi-g. 2;

Fig. 4: is a perspective view o f the clamping member; and e Y Fig. 5 is a side View partly in'section of aA slightly modified form of clamping member.

Referring now in detail to the drawing7 the clamping device consists of two elements, a

clamping member 6 anda holder 7. The vvholder 7 is preferably bent into a transverse :together-as shownclearl-y by Figs. 2 and V4.

` U-shaped structurey and may be made of any 'suitable sheet material.'l The vextension 8 of the holder forms a means for mounting the device upon a supportV and is apertured as inn dicated at 9 for this purpose. *The* clamping 55 member 6 is also transverselyU-shaped and is adapted to slide in from the largerv end of thehjolderv 7. The kholder andf the clamping member are tapered so that they. will wedge The member 7, as shown, has the top edges V1Ofan'd 11 bent-over and turned down so as toform guideways or tracks for thev side wallsv of the member 6. The shape of the A ing in from both ends so that the wire 12 or otherilexible strand or strands enters and leaves the clamping member in substantially a straight line. The clamping member,l however, intermediate its ends isprovided with a groove 13 whicheXtends across the backk of vthe member and enters the central trough through the opposite sidewalls of the members 6 at' thev openings vor slots 14.- andi 15. The edges of the slots are preferably slightly rounded or smoothed off so lthey will have notendency toV cut the covering of ,thewire inserted. g f

.The substantially complete encircling of the clamping member by thel flexible strands gives a sufficient frictional grip between them torprevent any sliding, and the groove 13 may be made perfectly smooth because ofthis factor although, of course; if it isdesired to roughen-it, the function Vwould, remain much the same. The advantage vof this smooth groove lies inthe fact that there is less tendency to injure the covering of electrical conductors; v y Y f `The assembling of the wire with the clamp- 90. ing device is made very simple by this construction. The clamping member 6 when free of the holder k7 can be held in the hand and the wire 12 quickly llaid therein in the positionshown in Fig. 1 ywhere it will retain the `wire without any holding by any auxiliary means. ,The holder 7 is then'shoved on tothe clamping member and mounted upon the support. Y

A principal function of the holder to 1.0!!

serve as a holding and mounting means for the clamping member and to serve as a protection for the groove 13. rIhe holding member does aid, however, in holding the wire in the groove, for example in the case where the wire may be slightly too large to'lit properly in the groove. There is little likelihood of the conductors becoming displaced from the groove whether or not the holder is placed thereon since any pressure or pull applied on the conductors thereof merely tends to draw the conductors tighter in the groove.

In Fig. 5 a slightly modified form of the invention is shown. The structures in Figs. 1-4 show the clamping member 6 as being constructed of an insulating material such for example as phenolic resin compound known as bakelite. The structure in Fig. 5 has the same conformation, but the clamping member here is shown of sheet metal with the groove 13 thereof formed by pressing the groove upwardly in the material.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction and advantages of this device will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is also believed tobe obvious that the invention is not limited to the exact details shown and described but that the structure may be varied as to details without fall ing outside the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A clamp comprising an elongated trans- `versely U-shaped clamping member having a groove extending around the back of said member and opening through the opposite side walls thereof to the space between said walls and means for mounting said member on a support. f

2. A clamp comprising an elongated transversely U-shaped clamping member having a groove extending around the back of said member and opening through the opposite u side walls thereof to the space between said Walls and means'for mounting said member on a support, said means comprising an elongated transversely U-shaped holder having mounting means thereon, said holder and clamping member being tapered toward one end so the clamping member may be wedged into said holder.

4. A clamp comprising an elongated transversely U-shaped clamping member having a groove extending around the back of said member and opening through the opposite 

